some interesting Gibson history

Keira-WitherKay

some interesting reading

http://www.voanews.com/content/gibson-guitar-women-kalamazoo-girls/1622199.html

singemonkey

Very interesting indeed. A huge difference between the cultures of the US and Britain was caused by the shortage of people to fill jobs in Britain after WWII, meaning that a large proportion of women stayed in work. In the USA, the same women who were told that they could, "do it!" were subsequently told that they couldn't and that their jobs were in the home. The story about greater "refinement" sounds like stereotype building if you ask me. I'm wondering if it wasn't simply that the jobs were new to all of them and so they took greater care at them than the men who held the jobs before and after.

aja

Now that you raised the topic, why are there no (that I know of) female luthiers?

I have met lots of women in the arts and crafts that work with woodworking and metalworking, so skills are not the problem here.

singemonkey

Morecowbell has a top-end cello that was made by a woman - a South African, I believe.

Bob-Dubery

aja wrote Now that you raised the topic, why are there no (that I know of) female luthiers?

Because you don't know of them - though it does seem to largely be a man's man's man's world.

Pat Metheny and Bruce Cockburn both play guitars made by Linda Manzer. The instruments she has made include Metheny's "Pikasso". Kathy Wingert and Joshia de Jonge make fine guitars. There is a lady luthier in the Cape who makes very good cellos and violins.

There are more. These are the instances that come to my mind right now. A few moments googling will, I'm sure, reveal more.

studmissile

Thanks, fascinating.

aja

singemonkey wrote Morecowbell has a top-end cello that was made by a woman - a South African, I believe.

X-rated Bob wrote
aja wrote Now that you raised the topic, why are there no (that I know of) female luthiers?
There are more. These are the instances that come to my mind right now. A few moments googling will, I'm sure, reveal more.

Interesting, thanks!